Hoist mechanism for mine-shafts.



No. 68I,430. Patented Aug. 27, |90I. T. J. BARBOUB.

HOIST MECHANISM FOB MINE SHAFTS.

(Application led Dec. 26, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Shout l.

(Ilo Model.)

lun-Inl@ No. 68l,430.

Patented Aug. 27, 190|. T. J. BARBOUR.

HOIST MECHANISM FOB MINE SHAFTS.

(Application led Dec. 2B, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

m. En?

No. 68|,43(J.v 4 Patented Aug. 27, |90I. T. J. BARBOUR.

HOIST MECHNISM FUR MINE SHAFTS.

(Application filed Dec. 26, 1900.)

3 Sheets--Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

m: nous", refzws co1, mcmumo. wnmnnmu, nv c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. BARBOUR, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

HOlST MECHANISM FOR MINE-SHAFTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,430, datedvAug-nist 27, 1901.

Application iled December 26, 1900. Serial No. 41,124. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. BARBOUR, a citizen of the United States,residingin the city and county of San Francisco and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoist Mechanism forMine-Shafts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the same.

The present invention relates more especially to mechanism whereby theposition of the cage may be shifted or regulated as to the haulage cableor rope in accordance with the level or depth from which the dirt or oreis to be hoisted from within the mine-shaft. Ordinarily where thedouble-cage system is employed in connection with an endless or singlehaulage-cable for the raising of ore from the mine-shaft it is thecustom to provide mechanism by means of which the haulage-cable may beshortened or lengthened in accordance with the length of the cablerequired for the hoisting of the cages from varying levels of themine-shaft, the cages being permanently attached to the cable. Forinstance, suppose the mine-shaft contains five working levels from whichore is taken and work is being done in the fifth level at a' the fthlevel to the fourth or third level it is required where the cages arepermanently attached to the cable that the excess of cable becompensated for, so as to raise the cage within the shaft to the levelrequired without changing the position of the surface cage. This isaccomplished by what is known as a tail-take-up mechanism, which gives aback pull upon that portion of the cable leading to the lowered cage inorder to raise the said cage to the required level. By such mechanismthe surface cage will reach the changed level at the same time theloaded cage reaches the surface for unloading. The

auxiliary mechanism required for this pur- The object of the presentinvention is to dispense with such auxiliary take-up mechanism andprovide means whereby one cage may be released from the haulage-cablewhile the position of the opposing cage is changed to a higher or lowerlevel within the mine-shaft.

The invention also relatesto details of construction as to means fortaking up the slack of the cable.

In order to comprehend the invention, reference should be had to theaccompanying sheets of drawings, wherein- Figure l is a side view inelevation illustrating the hoisting mechanism and arrangement of thecable or rope. plan view of the mechanism disclosed by Fig. 1 of thedrawings. Fig. 3 is a front view of the mine-shaft, disclosing thecribbing or shaft-frame timbers, endless cage-rope or cable, and cagesattached thereto. Fig. ais a similar view illustrating the running ofthe cage rope or cable when one cage is permanently attached thereto.Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailview,in front elevation, of one of the cageswith the cage rope or cable passing through the clutch mechanisms andguidesheaves. Fig. 6 is a similarvewin side elevation. Fig. 7 is abroken detail view, in side elevation, of the fixed cage illustrated inFig. 4, said view illustrating the take-up mechanism secu red to thebottom of the cage.- Fig. 8 is a similar view in front elevation-. vFig. 9 is a detail view of one ot' the clutch mechanisms, partly insection; and Fig.' 10 is a top plan view of the same.

In the drawings the letter A is used to in dicate the frame-timbers orcribbing which divides the mine-shaft into compartments l 2, and A2 thecage or haulage rope or cable. This rope or cable runs from the drive-drum B over tension-drum B', under idler-sheave B2, over pit-head sheaveB3, thence down shaft compartment 1, and -under take up sheave C, thenceup shaft-compartment 2, over pit-head shea-ve C', and thence back to thedrive-drum B.

Within each shaft-compartment Works or operates a cage, which cages D D'are attached to the cage or haulage cable or rope in such a manner thatas one cage is carried downward the other is elevated or moved upwardtoward the surface or head-opening of its Fig. 2 is a top looshaft-compartment. In Fig. 3 of the drawings the cage or haulage rope orcable is Villustrated asextending around the said cages, while in Fig. 4of the drawings the said rope or cable is illustrated as attached at oneend to the top of cage D, the free end passing around cage D and beingconnected by a suitable take-up mechanism to the bottom of cago D. Bythe latter form of connection one cage is rigidly or permanently securedto the cage or haulage rope or cable A2, while the oppositecage isdetachablysecu red thereto. Preferably I make each cage detachablyconnected to the cage orhaulage rope or cable and make employment of acontinuous or unbroken endless rope or cable, as illustrated in Fig. 3of the drawings. Then this form of connection is employed, each cage isprovided with an upper and lower frame D2 D3. The upper frame supportsthe cable-sheaves 3 4 and the lower frame the cable-sheaves 5 6. Throughthese sheaves the cable extends, audsaid sheaves are set at an angle, asillustrated in Fig. 6 ot` the drawings, in order that the cable or ropeA2 may be kept clear of frame-timbers or cribbing of the shaft.

Each cage is provided with an upper clutch E and lower clutch E, whichare supported, respectively, by the frames D2 D2. The cable or ropeleads through the upper clutch E prior to passing between the sheaves 34 and through the lower clutch after leaving the sheaves 5 Theseclutches maintain the rope or cable A2 in line with the pit-head sheaves'B2 C and the guide-face of the takeup sheave C. W'hile the sheaves 3 4lead the cable or rope to one side ofthe cage, the lower sheaves 5 Gguide or return the same to the center thereof. It is preferable thatthe cable or rope be led to one side of the cage, so as not to interferewith theloading capacity of the said cage.

In Figs. 3, 4, 5, and G the cage rope or eable is illustrated as passingthrough upper and lower guides 7 8 and the cage as held thereto bycompression-screws 9 l0. This is the simplest form of clutch mechanismand is mainly employed in said views to prevent complication ofdrawings. y

In Fig. 9a detail of the form ofclutch mechanism to be employed isillustrated, the same consisting of the clutch-jaws a a', connected tothe collar b by the toggle-links Z9 h2. These toggle-links are forcedinward and outward to open and close the clutch-jaws by the screw-rod d,which extends within the cage in order that the same may be operatedfrom the interior or platform thereof. As the top and bottom clutchmechanisms are counterparts,I have only deemed it necessary toillustrate one of the clutches.

In Fig. 4 only one cage is illustrated as bcing provided with the clutchmechanisms and the cable or rope guiding sheaves, the opposite cage Dbeing permanently secured to one end of the cable or rope, and the freeend of gear wheel G.

said cable or rope being attached to the chain d' of the auxiliarytake-up mechanism suspended from the bottom ofsaid cage. This take-upmechanism is made use of as au auxiliary to the take-up sheave C inorder that the slack of the cable or rope may be compensated for afterthe limit as to take-up has been reached by the take-up sheave O. The

take-up sheave C isvsecured within slideframe C2, which frame works inways C3 in the bottom of the mine-shaft. This slideframe C2 is permitteda vertical movement of about ten feet, and the weight thereof is such asto overcome that of the cable or rope A2. Hence it serves to maintainthe rope or cable taut and to take up such slack as may be occasioned bystretching of the cage rope or cable. After the slide-frame has reachedits full downward depth its usefulness as a takeup means for the slackceases. However, the slack or stretch will seldom be so great as toovercome the limit of the take-up sheaves play. Still to provide againstsuch a possibility an auxiliary take-up means is employed where one cageis permanently attached to the cage cableor rope. Such mechanism isattached, preferably, to the bottom of the fixed or permanent cage, andthe same comprises the shaft E2, mounted in bearings of frame E3. To oneend of said shaft'is secured the worm-gear F, which is actuated by theWorm F', carried by the winding-shaft F2. The shaft E2 carries thechain-wheel F2, over which works the chain d', to which the free end ofcable A2 is connected. In order to operate the take-u p mechanism, acrankkey is fitted over projecting end cl3 of winding-shaft F2. As thisshaft is rotated the inotion thereof is transmitted to shaft E2 throughthe medium of the worin F andworm-gear F.

To the drive-drum Bis con nected the brakewheel G, Fig. 2 of thedrawings, and larger Motion is imparted to the drive-drum B frompower-shaft G2, which is driven in the present case by electricity. Thepower-shaft works in bearings of frame G3 and has secured thereon pinionf, which meshes with gear f, secured to shaft H. To said shaft issecured pinion h, which meshes with the larger gear-wheel G.

In order to change the position of the cages D D within the mine-shaft,so as to shift the work to varying levels, one fcage is heldat theopening of the shaft by being supported upon chairs. (Notshown.) Itsclutch mechanisms are then released in order to free the cable or ropeA2. When thus freed, the cage within the mine-shaft is raised or loweredto the desired level. During this movement of said cage the releasedcageremains supported upon its chairs and the cable or rope runs freelythrough its guide-sheaves and clutch mechanisms. After the cage Withinthe mineshaft has reached the desired level the clutch mechanisms of thefree cage are then operated so as to clutch or grasp the cage cable orrope firmly. The position of the cages IIO at the desired level of themine-shaft. It will' be understood that one cage ascends as the opposingcage descends and that the loaded cage reaches the surface at the sametime as the empty or descending cage reaches the level from which theore is being extracted or worked.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure protection in by Letters Patent, is

l. In a single-cable hoist apparatus for mine-shafts, the combinationwith the endless hoisting-cable, of the opposing cablecages,of devicescarried by the cages whereby the endless cable is guided above and belowthe same, and means whereby the cages may be held locked to or releasedfrom the endless cable without requiring the cages to be removed fromthe cable in order to permit of its position being varied in accordancewith the working level of the mine-shaft.

2. In a singlecable hoist apparatus for.

mining purposes, the combination with the mine-shaft having differentlevels, of the endless hoisting-cable working therein, of the cagescarried thereby, of devices whereby the endless cable is guided aboveand below the cages, and means whereby the positions of the cages may bevaried upon the hoistingcable by releasing the cable without removingthe same from the guide devices.

3. The combination with the endless hoisting-cable, of the cages carriedthereby, of clutch mechanisms secured to the cages and by means of whichthey are attached to the hoisting-cable, and means for operating theclutch mechanisms whereby the positions of the cages may be varied fordifferent working levels.

4. The combination with the hoisting-cable, of the cages carriedthereby, of guide-sheaves secured to the cages and through which thehoisting-cable extends, clutch mechanisms carried by the cages and bymeans of which the cages are locked to the hoisting-cable, and means foroperating the clutch mechanisms so as to place the cagesin or out oflocked engagement with the hoisting-cable in order that the positions ofthe cages may be changed in accordance with the working levels of amine-shaft.

5. The combination with the drive mechanism,of the hoisting-cable, thepit-head sheaves over which the cable works, the take-up shcave locatedwithin the mine-shaft for taking up of the cable slack, the opposingcages carried by the hoisting-cable, devices for guiding the endlesscable above and below the cages, and means whereby the relativepositions of the cages may be varied upon the hoisting-cable inaccordance with the working levels.

6. The combination with the endless hoisting-cable, of the shaft withinwhich the endless cable works, the cages carried by the said cable, ofguide-sheaves secured to the top and bottom portions of the cages andbetween` which the hoisting-cable extends, and of means whereby therelative positions of the cages may be varied upon the hoisting-cable soas to adjust the same to the desired working level of the shaft.

'7. In a single-cable hoist apparatus for mining purposes, thecombination with the mineshaft, of the endless hoisting-cable workingtherein, of the cages carried thereby, one of said cages beingdetachably secured to the said cable, of devices for guiding the endlesscable above and below the said cage, and of means whereby the said cagemay be released from the cable without disconnectingfthe cable from theguiding devices so that the relative positions of the cages may bevaried upon the said hoisting-cable in accordance with the workinglevels of the mine-shaft.

8. In a single-cable hoisting apparatus, the combination with thedrive-drum, of the ten'- sion-drum, the idler-sheave, the mine-shaft,the pit-head sheaves, the take-up sheave located at the bottom of theshaft, the endless hoisting-cable working over said sheaves and drums,the cages carried by the endless hoisting-cable, and means whereby thepositions of the cages may be varied upon the hoistingcable inaccordance with the working level of the mine-shaft.

9. In a single-cable hoisting apparatus, the combination with themine-shaft, of the endless hoisting-cable working therein, mechanismlocated outside of the shaft for driving the endless cable, the opposingcages carried by the endless cable, of means for guiding the cablearound the cages, and of means carried by the cages wherein thepositions thereof may be varied upon the said cable in accordance withthe working level of the mineshaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature, in thepresence of witnesses, this 30th day of November, 1900.

THOMAS J. BARB OUR..

In presence of FRANK M. LELAND, D. J. BAssETT.

IIO

